Disneyland Resort Update for September 19-25, 2016

Disneyland Resort Update for September 19–25, 2016

Go directly to: News & Views | Join our Networks | Current Refurbishment/Attraction Closures | Resort Events | Discounts and Promotions | Park Schedule/Blockout Dates

News and Views

Holidays at the Disneyland Resort | Mickey's Halloween Party update | Registration opens for the 2017 Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend events | Applications open for 2016 Dreamers and Doers program | Halloween weekend brings musical treats for Disney fans in Southern California | Neil Patrick Harris to host 2016 Walt Disney Family Museum Gala at DCA | Construction Land | This and that… | Crowd forecast

Holidays at the Disneyland Resort

Disney made a big announcement last week about the Holidays at the Disneyland Resort promotion, scheduled November 10, 2016 through January 8, 2017. This year's celebration includes a new holiday version of the World of Color, a new “Festival of Holidays” event, a new location for Santa Claus, and the West Coast debut of Princess Elena of Avalor. Here are details and musings about these newest offerings, all at Disney California Adventure:

World of Color Season of Light

A new holiday update to the World of Color show is said to combine “classic holiday songs with memorable moments from treasured Disney animated films to create an experience filled with magic.”

Festival of Holidays

This looks like California's version of Epcot's “Holidays Around the World” promotion combined with a Food and Wine festival. Fourteen festival marketplaces will return to DCA during the promotion, offering “delicious internationally inspired food and beverages.”

It looks like Disney may not set up all of the marketplace booths up along the parade route as it did during the Spring Food and Wine Festival. Permits filed with the City of Anaheim call for changes to the railings of the Pacific Wharf Bridge to allow for electrical outlets for the booths, which suggests that the booths may be placed in such a way as to allow a parade to perform during the holiday season.

Elena of Avalor

As we previously reported, Disney's first Latina princess will make her California debut in a new entertainment offering during the holiday season. Disney confirms that Elena will remain at DCA even after the holiday season concludes on January 8.

Santa visits Redwood Creek Challenge Trail

Santa has a new home in Disney California Adventure, giving up his previous location inside the Elias and Company store and heading to Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. Disney says there will also be “holiday-themed activities along the trail.”

Don't fear; we do know that Santa will also appear in Critter Country at Disneyland. Disney has filed for a permit to build a new photo backdrop for Santa this year.

Over at Disneyland, Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle returns from the 60th anniversary hiatus, as does the Believe in Holiday Magic fireworks show.

Of course, the holiday season still includes all of the traditional favorites, including “A Christmas Fantasy Parade,” the “it's a small world holiday,” Haunted Mansion Holiday and Jingle Cruise overlays, and all of the decorations throughout both parks and the Resort district.

Mickey's Halloween Party update

The first Mickey's Halloween Party event of the year is this Friday at Disneyland, and tickets to the opening night are now sold out. MousePlanet will be there to cover the first event, which includes the new Halloween parade and the ride of the Headless Horseman. Be sure to follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the evening, and look for lots of photos in next week's Update.

Tickets are now sold out for ten of the Halloween Party event nights via the Disneyland web site:

• Sold out – September 23, 30; October 7, 10, 12, 14, 17, 21, 29 and 31
• Available – September 26, 28; October 3, 5, 19, 24, 26

Mickey, Minnie and Donald greet visitors arriving from the Mickey and Friends parking structure. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

There is still hope if you want to attend a “sold out” night, but you need to act quickly. Before you turn to Craigslist, StubHub, or eBay (all of which bring with them the very high risk of being defrauded), here are official ways you may still be able to buy legitimate party tickets directly from Disney:

• Call Disneyland and order tickets by phone – a limited number of tickets may be available by phone for events that are sold out online. Call (714) 781-4636 to purchase by phone. Expect to wait on hold for at least 10 minutes.
• Visit Disneyland and purchase tickets in person – a limited number of tickets may be available at the Disneyland ticket booths for events that are sold out online. Again, tickets for all of the “sold out” nights were still available as of this weekend at the ticket booths, but that is subject to change at any moment.
• Disneyland Resort Hotels – if you are a guest staying at one of the three Disney-owned hotels (Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier Hotel, Grand Californian Hotel), check with your hotel desk the morning of the event to see if they have tickets available for purchase. In past years Disney has reserved a small number of tickets for concierge-level guests to purchase starting at 5:30 a.m. the morning of each party. However, some readers have reported that they were booked into a standard rooms and were allowed to buy the tickets as well. If you're already staying on property, it does not hurt to ask.
• Friends or family – if friends/family already have tickets, they may be able to purchase additional tickets the day of the party. Again, a small number of tickets is reserved for same-day sales to help accommodate ticket holders who may have miscounted how many they need, or who had friends/family unexpectedly join them. As with the tickets reserved for hotel guests, these are very limited, and go on sale as soon as the ticket booths open in the morning. If at all possible, get there first thing in the morning to increase your chance of getting tickets. You must have the other event tickets with you—the cast member needs to see them, and cannot just trust your word that “so-and-so already has tickets.”

Registration opens for the 2017 Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend events

Registration opens tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. (Pacific), September 20 for the 2017 Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend (scheduled for May 11–14, 2017). Early registration for Disney Vacation Club Members and Annual Passholders opened last week, but sales were quite slow compared to other runDisney events. After three days, only the runDisney Kids Races had sold out. As of Sunday evening, the allocated early registration slots were filled for the 5K and 10K events, but the half marathon and Pixie Dust Challenge events were still open.

Some attribute the decline in registration to the decision to move the race to Mother's Day weekend starting with the 2015 event, opening its previous January slot for the Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend. Some runners stuck it out for two years in order to maintain their status as “legacy runners” through the fifth anniversary event in 2016. Now that the fifth anniversary is over, a number of participants in the women-focused race say they're done, too.

While half marathon and challenge registrations may take longer to sell out, Disney continues to see strong demand for the shorter 5K and 10K distances. If you're planning to register this morning, here are some of the tips runDisney shares to help runners register quickly:

1. Create an active.com profile prior to registration opening.
2. Be ready to register at noon ET (9 a.m. Pacific time). Follow rundisney.com and the runDisney social media channels for the registration link.
3. Once you're in the queue, you have 15 minutes to complete the registration process. After 15 minutes, your spot is no longer guaranteed.
4. If you receive an “on hold” message this means the queue is currently full. Continue to check back.
5. Have everyone in your party register only themselves for a faster registration process.
6. Look to travel providers and charity groups for additional registration opportunities.

Based on the sell-out rate of recent events, here our suggestion as to how to prioritize registrations if you have to register more than one person, or register yourself for more than one event:

1. runDisney Kids Races
2. Tinker Bell 10K (if you are not planning to run the Pixie Dust Challenge)
3. Never Land 5K
4. Pixie Dust Challenge
5. Tinker Bell Half Marathon (if you're couldn't get into or were not planning to run the Pixie Dust Challenge)

After you register for your event, come add your name to the Team MousePlanet race roster to connect with other runners and share training tips.

Applications open for 2016 Dreamers and Doers program

High school students from Orange County, California can now apply to be part of the Disneyland Resort Dreamers & Doers program for 2016. High school students who are active in one of these four focus areas can be recognized by Disney as a Dreamer & Doer:

• Strengthen Community – bring hope, happiness, and comfort to children and families.
• Think Creatively – nurture creative thinking skills to inspire children and families to create the future they imagine.
• Conserve Nature – connect children and families with nature to build lifelong conservation values.
• Live Healthier – make healthier living fun and accessible.

Students must submit a completed application to their school by October 31, 2016 (check with your school for their specific deadline, which may be earlier. Each school chooses up to two students to nominate for the award. Nominees will be notified by Disney by the end of the year, and may take part in an educational symposium in early 2017.

Each Dreamers & Doers nominee will receive a certificate of recognition, and two tickets to Disneyland. Students selected as Shining Stars or Luminaries can also earn grants for their high school, donations to their favorite non-profits, and even a weekend stay at Disneyland.

Disneyland Resort Dreamers and Doers. YouTube video © Disney.

Halloween weekend brings musical treats for Disney fans in Southern California

Disney music fans in southern California have a full calendar of events during Halloween weekend, with four great concerts on the schedule.

Reader Jeff G. shared details of an encore presentation of the “Disney in Concert: A Silly Symphony Celebration,” which debuted last year during the 2015 D23 Expo. The Golden State Pops Orchestra will perform the sound track from many of these Academy Award-winning shorts on Saturday, October 29 at the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro, California. Tickets are now on sale through the orchestra website, and range from $28.50 to $60 per seat. Get 15% off with code “GSPOWeb”.

The same weekend, Disney Legend Danny Elfman returns to the stage of the Hollywood Bowl to perform as Jack Skellington for “Nightmare Before Christmas, Live to Film.” The concerts take place Friday, October 28 and Saturday, October 29 at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, October 30 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.

Elfman will perform alongside three other original singing voices from the film, including Catherine O'Hara (Sally), Ken Page (Oogie Boogie) and Paul Rubens (Lock). John Mauceri conducts the full Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and choir in the performance. The holiday event also features a costume contest and trick-or-treating, so be sure to arrive early and in Nightmare style.

Neil Patrick Harris to host 2016 Walt Disney Family Museum Gala at DCA

Self-described “massive Disney fan” Neil Patrick Harris will serve as master of ceremonies at the Second Annual Walt Disney Family Museum Gala, scheduled to take place on Tuesday, November 2 at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and at Disney California Adventure.

The 2016 event will honor Disney Legend Marty Sklar, who will receive the Diane Disney Miller Lifetime Achievement Award at the gala. Disney Legend Richard Sherman received the inaugural award at the 2015 event.

The gala is a fund-raiser for the non-profit Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. Entertainment includes a private after-hours viewing of World of Color – Celebrate in Disney California Adventure. Harris is also the host of that version of the World of Color show, which was created for and ran during Disneyland's 60th anniversary celebration.

Tickets are available directly from the museum. For more information, contact Carma Zisman, Director of Institutional Advancement, at czisman@wdfmuseum.org.

Construction Land

Disneyland filed an interesting permit last week, which hints at renovations planned for the upper level of the Innoventions building. The plans call for the demolition of an existing accessible rest room, along with non-bearing walls and related electrical and plumbing. This renovation of course would have to be in the non-rotating portion of the building, in an area currently accessible only to cast members.

If Disney is making backstage changes to Innoventions, it's not hard to imagine that there are some guest-facing changes in the works as well, though no permits have been filed yet.

Some of the 60th Anniversary dazzle was removed from Sleeping Beauty Castle, but most of the glittering rooftop remains. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The tram route outside of the Mickey and Friends parking structure is being widened, and the pedestrian exit onto Magic Way is currently closed. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

An overview of the Star Wars Land construction site gives a look at the progress being made on the new route for the Disneyland Railroad. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The wall taking shape around the Rivers of America likely follows the new route of the Disneyland Railroad, but it's difficult to tell where the entrance to Star Wars Land fits into the work. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Work continues on Star Wars Land and the Disneyland Railroad. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

This pit is likely the foundation for the first of the ride buildings to be constructed in Star Wars Land. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

With a new wall taking shape around the Rivers of America, it will be increasingly difficult to see into the construction site. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

This and that…

…Princess Jasmine has been spotted at Disneyland wearing the new costume that has caused some complaints in Walt Disney World. The costume is a more modest version of the outfit Jasmine once wore inside the theme parks, with full pants and sleeves, a high neckline and covered midsection.

Princess Jasmine is wearing a new outfit to meet guests at Disneyland. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Jasmine's previous costume left her arms, shoulders and midriff bare. MousePlanet file photo by Frank Anzalone.

…We are discontinuing the Merchandise Events section of this update until further notice because Disney has stopped updated the Disney Gallery website to reflect Disneyland events. Unfortunately, this has made it difficult for us to alert our readers to scheduled artist appearances. We'll restore that section as soon as possible.

…It looks like the Howard Johnson Hotel is planning for a renovation of all guest rooms, according to permits filed with the city of Anaheim. We've reached out to the hotel for more information, and look forward to sharing details of the changes coming to this fan-favorite hotel.

…A Pasadena man was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty last week to selling invalid Disneyland tickets, according to the Orange County Register. MousePlanet constantly warns our readers about buying tickets from unknown people and non-Disney sources, and this is just the latest in a string of cases which illustrate our point.

…The MousePlanet Newsletter is here! The newsletter contains a recap of the week's articles (in case you miss a day), news that may have developed since the weekly Updates were published, and tips about what's happening at the Disney theme parks for the coming weekend. We'll also include a fun bonus, such as an Eye Spy or a trivia question. To subscribe to our free newsletter, just enter your e-mail in the box below.

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Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Note: Not all attraction closures have been officially confirmed by Disney, and are all subject to change at any time. Refurbishment schedules are estimates only. We recommend checking for updates as you plan your visit. All information is subject to change without notice. To get the most recent updates, visit Disneyland.com—this information is no longer available from the automated phone service.

Disneyland

• The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln – closed through September 29 for refurbishment.
• Gadget's Go Coaster – closed September 19–21 for refurbishment.
• Splash Mountain – closed October 3–20 for refurbishment.
• Stage Door Cafe – closed October 3 for refurbishment. Reopening date not known, but after October 17.

The following attractions are all closed for Star Wars Land-related construction around the Rivers of America, and are expected to reopen in spring 2017 or later:

• Disneyland Railroad
• Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes
• Fantasmic!
• Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island
• Sailing Ship Columbia
• Mark Twain Riverboat

Disney California Adventure

• The Little Mermaid – Ariel's Undersea Adventure – closed through September 28 for refurbishment.
• Hot Dog Hut – closed through September 29 for refurbishment.
• Goofy's Sky School – closed for refurbishment September 26 & 27.
• It's Tough to be a Bug – closed October 3 – 13 for refurbishment.
• Muppet*Vision 3D – closed indefinitely. The theater has been renamed the Sunset Showcase Theater, and will likely be used for movie previews until a permanent replacement is found.
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – closed January 3, 2017 for transformation into a new Guardians of the Galaxy attraction.

Disneyland Resort

• House of Blues Anaheim – closed as of May 31. The 23,000-square-foot restaurant and concert venue is slated for demolition.
• Sprinkles Cupcakes – under construction in Downtown Disney. No opening date announced.

Resort Events

Check here to see if a large convention, competition, or park event might fall during your next trip to the Disneyland Resort. If you know of any in-park events, official or unofficial, that should be listed here, please send us an e-mail (link).

2016

• Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort – September 9 to October 31.
• Mickey's Halloween Party – September 23, 26, 28, 30; October 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19, 21, 24, 26, 29, 31. Tickets on sale now.
• Gay Days Anaheim (unofficial event) – September 30 to October 2. More information at the event website.
• MouseAdventure – Sunday, October 16. Registration is now open.
• 2016 CHOC Walk in the Park – Sunday, October 30 at the Disneyland Resort. MousePlanet readers, friends, and family are invited to register with Team MousePlanet and walk with our group. Registration is now open at www.chocwalk.org
• Dapper Day Fall Soiree (unofficial event) – Sunday, November 6. More information at the event website. This popular event grows larger each year, so it's worth making note of the date if you plan to visit the park during this weekend.
• 2016 Super Heroes Half Marathon Weekend – November 10–13. Formerly called the Avengers Half Marathon. Registration is open for all events except the Captain America 5K and the runDisney Kids Races. Register via the runDisney website.
• Holidays at the Disneyland Resort – November 10, 2016 through January 8, 2017
• Season of the Force – no end date announced.

2017

• 2017 Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend – January 12–15, 2017. Registration is still open for the Half Marathon event. All other race distances are sold out through runDisney, but charities like Team Muscle Makers have space available.
• “Use it or lose it” weekend – January 28–29, 2017. Our designation for the final weekend of January, which marks the deadline for cast members, community groups, and Club 33 members to use their remaining complementary admission tickets from the 2016 allocation.
• 2017 Grad Nites: May 5, 6, 10, 17, 19, 20, 24, 30 and 31; June 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 14, 16 and 17.
• 2017 Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend – May 11–14, 2017. Registration opens September 20, 2016.
• D23 Expo – July 14–16, 2017. Tickets are now on sale through the official D23 website.

We also recommend checking the convention calendar at the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau website. When looking at that site, remember to note both the number of people and the number of rooms resulting from each convention. A gathering of 25,000 people booking few room nights (indicating most will be driving in to the area for their meeting) can impact traffic around the resort much more than a crowd of 25,000 staying in area hotels. Of course, that second group is going to make finding a hotel room more difficult (and possibly more expensive), so it's best to book your own room as early as possible if you see that a big convention is in town during your trip.

Non-Disney Resort Events

Notable events at parks and attractions around Southern California. If you know of an event that should be listed here, please send us an e-mail (link).

Knott's Berry Farm

• Knott's Scary Farm – select nights September 22 to October 31.

Legoland California

• Brick-Or-Treat – October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29.
• Kids' New Year's Eve – December 31.

Sea World San Diego

• Halloween Spooktacular – September 24–25; October 1–2; 8–9; 15–16; 22–23; 29–30.
• Wintery Wonderland – November 18, 2016 to January 1, 2017

Universal Studios Hollywood

• Halloween Horror Nights – September 16, 17, 23, 24, 29, 30; October 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15,16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31; November 5, 5.

Six Flags Magic Mountain

• Fright Fest – September 17, 18, 24, 25, 30, October 1, 2, 7–9, 14–16, 21–23, 28–30
• Holiday in the Park – November 19 to January 1

School Holidays

Notable school holidays that may impact park attendance. If you know of any other holidays that should be listed here, please send us an e-mail (link).

2016

• Columbus Day – Monday, October 10. Many locals schools are closed.
• Nevada Day (observed) – Friday, October 28. A school holiday for our neighbors to the northeast creates a 3-day weekend and usually adds to the Halloween weekend crowds. Some Nevada schools take the entire week off as a Fall Break.
• Utah Education Association convention (UEA, a.k.a. “Utah Escapes to Anaheim”) – October 20–21. Expect holiday-level crowds October 19–24 as Utah students and families take advantage of a Fall Break scheduled around an annual state education convention. Not all Utah schools close for UEA, but the impact on the resort is significant enough to mention.
• Thanksgiving Break – November 21–25. Many local schools close for the entire week of Thanksgiving.
• Winter Break – December 19, 2016 – January 6, 2017. Most schools close only two of these three weeks, but some districts close all three weeks due to the Saturday Christmas.

2017

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Monday, January 16.
• Cesar Chavez Day – Friday, March 31. Many locals schools are closed.
• Spring Break – March 13 to April 14. The four-week period during which most local schools will observe a one-week spring holiday.

Current Discounts & Promotions

Disneyland prices as of February 28, 2016.

Note: MousePlanet does not edit past Updates to reflect price increases; for up-to-date prices, check the most recent Disneyland Resort Update. Several current promotions offer discounted admission to the Disneyland Resort. For your convenience, we have grouped the discount offers based on the number of days the tickets are valid. Check out the category that best matches the amount of time you plan to spend at the resort, and pick the offer that works best for you. And keep those tips coming—let us know if you find a better or different offer, so we can share it with other readers!

This first section is a list of discounts on ticket-only purchases. Though it has become more common in recent years, Disneyland tickets are rarely offered at deep discounts unless you are a resident of Southern California or Northern Mexico. For residents outside that area, the best discounts available tend to be simple advance purchase discounts. If you know of any additional discounts, offers, promotions, or contests that should be listed in this section, drop us a line. Note, we are no longer listing offers from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, as their convenience fee negates any savings.

Don't get scammed! Never buy tickets from an unofficial or secondary outlet, such as through eBay or Craigslist. Never rent or purchase tickets from people approaching you outside the gates stating they have remaining days or leftover tickets. This practice is against the terms of use for Disneyland admission, and may result in denial of entry. It is also common for criminals to shoplift inactivated Disney theme park tickets from supermarkets to resell them. There is no way to determine if these tickets are valid until you try to use them to enter the parks. Only purchase Disney theme park tickets directly from Disney, an authorized seller, or travel agency.

Ticket Prices and Promotions

Additional Discounts

Did we miss an offer? If you know of an authorized discount on Disneyland Resort tickets, standing offers for Annual Passholders from non-Disney vendors, or other promotions which might interest our readers, please drop us a note!

Discounts for:

Park Schedule/Blockout Dates

• DL – Disneyland
• DCA – Disney California Adventure

Annual Pass blockouts:

• SL – Southern California Select Annual Pass
• SC – Southern California Annual Pass
• DX – Deluxe Annual Pass
• SG – Signature Annual Pass

The Disneyland website does not list the blockout dates for the Costco-exclusive Disney California Adventure Park Fun Pass. The blockout dates are as follows:

• 2016 – September 3, 4; November 11, 24, 25, 26; December 19–31
• 2017 – January 1, 2; February 18, 19; March 18, 25; April 1, 8, 9, 14, 15, 22, 29; May 6, 13, 20, 26, 27, 28; June 3, 10, 17, 24; July 1-4, 8, 15, 22, 29; August 5, 12, 19; September 2,l 3; November 10, 11, 23, 24, 25.

Early Admission – full description available on the Disneyland website):

• MM – Magic Mornings for 3-plus day ticket holders, promotional “bonus” tickets, and Southern California CityPASS
• EMH – Extra Magic Hour for Disneyland Resort Hotel Guests
• EA – Early Admission for Annual Passholders (not currently offered)

Disneyland Resort Special Events:

• FW – Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival
• GN – Grad Nite
• MHP – Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland

Visit our Annual Passholders Blockout Dates page to see more dates. You can see future calendar schedules at Disneyland. As always, specifics are subject to change without notice (or occasionally, without us noticing) so when information conflicts between what is presented here and that presented by Disney, it is best to assume Disney's information is correct.

Visit the Park Hours section of our Disneyland Park guide for additional details about Magic Morning and Toontown Morning Madness, including available attractions. Entertainment schedule: Go directly to the Disneyland Resort schedule for this week at Disneyland.com here.

The Seasons calendar is published on the Disneyland website for the next 8-11 months.

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